The test location features a taco restaurant, ice cream station, and wine and beer on tap.
7-Eleven has built an international business on its reputation as a convenient corner store, offering snacks, drinks, and other sundries to customers on the go. But the brand’s latest test concept asks you to sit down and stay awhile. The company has recently opened a test store in Dallas, TX that serves as a laboratory for 7-Eleven’s upcoming products and innovations including a variety of upscaled treats and even an in-store taco joint.
Inside, visitors will find made-to-order coffee, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and agua frescas, a bar with wine, beer, kombucha, nitro cold brew, and teas on tap (as well as bar-style seating nearby), “The Cellar” stocked with a large selection of wines, a beer cave and a self-service growler station which will include local beers and ciders, fresh-baked cookies, croissants, and other baked goods, bulk snacks, frozen yogurt and ice cream with toppings and mix-ins, and, perhaps most surprisingly, an outpost of Laredo Taco Co. — a restaurant chain 7-Eleven acquired in 2018 — within the building featuring indoor and outdoor seating.
“Convenience retailing is light years away from the days of bread and milk being sold from ice docks in 1927, and the industry is changing at a faster rate than ever before,” 7-Eleven’s vice president and chief operating officer Chris Tanco said in a statement. “7-Eleven stays at the forefront by pushing the boundaries and being unafraid to try new things. This new lab store will serve as a place to test, learn and iterate on new platforms and products simultaneously to see what really resonates with customers and how we can take those learnings systemwide.”
The Dallas location isn’t the only place 7-Eleven will be trying out its sit-down concept and upgraded food items. According to the Oak Cliff Advocatethis link opens in a new tab, six of these stores are planned for cities including San Diego, CA and Washington, D.C. in the near future.